Inmarsat re-issued license for EAN connectivity in Belgium

Published by Steve NicholsPublished on 16th August 2018|Comments Off on Inmarsat re-issued license for EAN connectivity in Belgium

An LTE ground station for the EAN. Image: Deutsche Telekom.

Inmarsat has been re-issued the license to operate the complementary ground component of its European Aviation Network (EAN) inflight broadband service in Belgium.

An initial license, issued by the Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications (BIPT), was annulled in March this year on procedural grounds, with the Belgium Market Court requiring additional reasoning to support the Belgian regulator’s decision to award the license.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “We are delighted that this license has been re-issued by BIPT.

“The issuance follows a second rigorous consultation process by BIPT that confirms EAN’s complementary ground network complies with all regulatory framework conditions. We remain on track for commercial service launch to passengers later this year.”

EAN has been made possible through regulatory innovation in the European Union.

Inmarsat says it is the world’s first inflight WiFi solution that integrates connectivity from a satellite, operated by Inmarsat, and an LTE-evolved ground network, operated by Deutsche Telekom, covering all 28 member states of the European Union, as well as Switzerland and Norway.

Available for the commercial and business aviation markets, it has been designed to meet highly-demanding internet use, such as streaming high-definition videos, online gaming and image sharing, with service levels that compare to mobile broadband on the ground.